About Adriel
Adriel is a biblical name meaning “flock of God.” Its Hebrew roots give it a pastoral image, while its modern use reaches across Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and English-speaking communities. A minor figure in the story of King Saul supplies its ancient connection; musicians and artists give it a more contemporary public presence.
Meaning and biblical history
Adriel combines Hebrew eder, meaning “flock” or “herd,” with el, meaning “God.” The ending belongs to the same broad religious naming tradition seen in other Hebrew names ending in -el, although the opening gives Adriel its particular meaning.
In 1 Samuel 18:19, Adriel the Meholathite marries Merab, a daughter of King Saul. She had been expected to marry David, but the marriage is made with Adriel instead. It is a brief appearance within the larger account of Saul's relationship with David, rather than a long narrative centred on Adriel himself.
The Brazilian Portuguese feminine form Adriele is a direct relative. It keeps Adriel's opening and adds a vowel ending.
Music and contemporary culture
Adriel Favela is a singer-songwriter associated with música mexicana, including norteño and corridos. Born in San Francisco and raised in Sonora, he has worked across those musical traditions while also bringing other sounds and collaborators into his recordings.
His album Cosas Del Diablo arrived in March 2022, his first album after signing with Fonovisa. It includes collaborations with performers such as Carin León, as well as artists connected with Favela's own Esperanto imprint. The record gives Adriel a modern musical association that extends beyond its biblical setting.
Another bearer is Adriel Luis, a curator at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. His work has brought artists, scholars and communities together in Culture Labs, exhibitions and performances presented in experimental spaces. CrossLines took place at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington in 2016; ʻAe Kai followed in a former Honolulu supermarket in 2017.
Luis also collaborated with artist Jess X. Snow on In the Future, a series of public art projects in 2021 responding to anti-Asian American violence. His curatorial work gives the name a connection with contemporary art, community collaboration and the changing ways museums present culture.
Pronunciation and form
In Spanish, Adriel is approximately ah-DRYEL, with stress on the final syllable. The I joins the following vowel, making the ending more compact than an English spelling-out of “dree-el” might suggest.
Adri could work as an informal shortening, taking the opening letters of the full name. It is a suggested everyday form rather than a separate biblical name. Adriele extends the ending in the Brazilian feminine form, while Adriel itself keeps a firm final L.
American popularity
Adriel has become much more widely used for American boys in recent decades. In 2000, 134 births placed it at #1,064. By 2010, it had reached #516 with 500 births. It entered the top hundred by 2025, when 3,921 boys received the name and it ranked #84, its highest position in the local series. Girls also appear in the records, but in far smaller numbers: 14 in 2025.
Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution
Meaning and history draw on the references below. American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling; counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted. Existing Wiktionary material is available under CC BY-SA. Informal shortening suggestions are identified in the prose.
How popular is Adriel?
In 2025, Adriel ranked #84 among boys in the United States, with 3,921 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1952; its largest annual count was 3,921 in 2025. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.